This article exposes the fraudulent practices of Pain MD, a multi-state pain management company, which capitalized on patients' dependence on opioids by administering ineffective injections in exchange for prescriptions. The article details the company's unethical practices, the testimonies of former patients who endured unnecessary pain, and the legal consequences faced by Pain MD executives.
Michelle Shaw, a 56-year-old woman from McMinnville, Tennessee, had been grappling with back pain for a decade, ever since a fall. Her reliance on opioid painkillers intensified her predicament. Each month, she visited a pain clinic, forced to endure three or four excruciating injections of an unknown substance into her spine in exchange for her much-needed opioid medication. The clinic claimed these injections were steroids, meant to alleviate her pain.
However, each shot only magnified her agony. Shaw reluctantly endured these painful procedures, fearing the clinic would cut off her access to opioids if she refused. Pain MD, the multi-state pain management company operating the clinic, had a peculiar business model. As the opioid crisis spurred a nationwide reduction in opioid prescriptions, Pain MD capitalized on the desperation of patients like Shaw. They offered a seemingly viable alternative: monthly injections coupled with opioids, assuring patients the injections could ease pain and potentially reduce their dependence on pills.Years later, the truth behind Pain MD's injections was exposed. A decade-long fraud scheme, orchestrated by capitalizing on patients' dependence on opioids, was brought to light in federal court. The Department of Justice successfully argued that Pain MD's 'unnecessary and expensive injections' were largely ineffective. They targeted the wrong body parts, contained short-lived numbing medications instead of steroids, and appeared to be based on test injections given to cadavers.Four Pain MD employees, including company president Michael Kestner, were convicted of healthcare fraud. Kestner, found guilty of 13 felonies, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 21st in Nashville. The court transcripts revealed a disturbing reality: Pain MD documented giving patients approximately 700,000 total injections over eight years, with some patients receiving as many as 24 shots at once. The prosecution described the injections as a way to exploit patients, effectively turning them into 'human pin cushions'. Testimonies from former patients like Shaw and Patricia McNeil revealed the harrowing truth: the injections did not alleviate pain, often exacerbating it. They endured the agony simply to secure their prescription refills, fearing withdrawal if they refused. The case of Pain MD serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked opioid prescribing and the exploitation of vulnerable patients seeking relief from chronic pain
OPIOID CRISIS PAIN MANAGEMENT FRAUD SCHEME HEALTHCARE FRAUD PATIENT EXPLOITATION
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